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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. court — for sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a word
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — of a king
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. court — of law
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com